Permanent Residence
by Starla
Summary: A series which splits off at 'Earshot' - Clauseless B/A fluff.
1. Catching Wishes

Catching Wishes 

Catching Wishes

by [Starla ][1]

Disclaimer: Joss owns the Buffyverse. I'm just a temp.   
Distribution: Anyone who wants it, but please send me the addy.My site: http://www.geocities.com/starla26_84/index.html   
Summary: Missing Scenes from Earshot.  
Author's Notes: Been wanting to write this for weeks. Had writers block on everything else, so it's finally getting done. Nothing after Earshot happened.  
Feedback: Is always greatly appreciated. 

Scene 1: Reluctant Goodbye 

Angel sat on the bed as Buffy crossed to her closet, pulling out a grey boat neck shirt and tugging it on over her sports bra. 

"Buffy....are you sure you're up to this????" He was unable to keep the concern out of his voice. "I mean you have had a pretty big couple of days...." 

She turned to him, pulling her unwashed-unbrushed hair away from her face and secured it at the back of her head. "What do you want me to do??? Let everyone in school die???" She rummaged through her bag, looking for a small pocketknife. 

Angel frowned. He knew the consequences. That didn't stop him from worrying. "Just....be careful, ok???" He said softly. 

She paused, hearing the worry in his voice. She turned to face him, and the same worry was amplified in his eyes. 

Buffy sat down next to him, as close as possible without actually sitting in his lap. There was no time for that now. She raised her hands and brushed her fingers through his hair, which, for once, gel-less. She leaned over and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, leaving her hand in his hair as she pulled away. "Wait here. I'll be back in an hour or two. Promise." She pressed her lips to his forehead, and felt him nod before she removed her hand from his hair, standing. 

She spotted the knife on her dresser and took it, slipping it into her pocket. 

She turned and smiled softly at him. "We'll talk when I get back??" He nodded, and she wished she didn't have to leave. "I'll be back soon. I love you.." 

"Love you." He replied without hesitation. She smiled, blew him a kiss, and bounced out the door. 

Scene 2: Questions Introduced 

Joyce watched as Buffy came barrelling down the stairs, nearly running into Giles. 

"Let's go." She said breathlessly, grabbing Giles' arm. 

"Doesn't Angel need a lift????" Giles asked, and Buffy shook her head. 

"He's staying here. No way I'm letting *my* vampire become a crispy critter. Besides, I wanna talk to him later, and there's nothing like a captive audience." She explained, tugging on his arm. 

"You're feeling better about the Faith episode, then???" Giles asked, letting her lead him out the door. 

Joyce followed them into the sunshine. 

"Not yet. But I will. " She said firmly, then muttered under her breath. "Stupid Slut." 

Joyce frowned. What were they talking about??? Had Buffy had a fight with Faith??? 

Buffy waved. "Bye Mom!" She called, slipping into Giles' ancient car. 

"Be careful!" Joyce called, but the Citroen was already backing away. 

Joyce turned, determined to find out what had transpired between Buffy and Faith. 

Scene 3: Finding Answers 

Joyce paused in the doorway. Angel was seated in a wicker chair in the darkest corner, his long legs stretched out in front him. There was an open notepad in front of him, and the black biro in his hands moved quickly, etching an unseen picture into the flimsy paper. 

He seemed to sense Joyce watching him, and looked up, stiffening slightly. "Hey." He said quietly, acknowledging her presence. He continued to stare at her. 

"Is that....Is the sun hurting you???" she asked, indicating the streaks of light that managed to infiltrate the blinds. 

Angel shrugged. "As long as I stay out of direct sunlight, I'm generally ok." He explained. 

She nodded slowly, filing this information away. "Uh....Will there be any side effects??" Angel looked at her blankly. "From the antidote, I mean." She added hastily. 

"She'll be pretty tired tonight. Part of that's just processing all the information she's gathered. She's gonna know things she never really wanted to." Angel explained. 

"Things from you???" Joyce asked, trying not to think about her own spilled secrets. 

Angel shook his head. "She couldn't hear my thoughts." 

"Oh." Joyce said. "Because you are a, um, vampire??" 

Angel just nodded. 

"She's been quiet this week....do you know if anything else has been bothering her? Something with Faith, maybe???" 

Angel seemed to hesitate. "I really think you should ask her...." He said. 

Joyce just shook her head. "She never wants to burden me. But I worry....and I just need to know what's upsetting her, occasionally. " 

Angel frowned, then sighed. He'd just tell her the basics. "Faith's finally gone completely nuts." He said. "She's turned a little evil." He paused. "Only, that's a very big understatement." 

Joyce paled. "What did she do? Faith, I mean." 

This question seemed to make Angel extremely uncomfortable. "She uh, tried to make me lose my soul. By sleeping with me." 

Joyce's eyes grew narrow with anger. Angel seemed to notice. "Oh, don't worry, I refused. One woman vampire, I swear. But when I refused, she brought in a shaman, who was supposed to do a spell or something to rid me of my soul, only the guy was an old friend of GIles' so we knew beforehand. I had to pretend I'd lost my soul for awhile, and....I was very cruel to Buffy." 

Joyce frowned. "But she knew, right? That it was just an act???" 

"She did, but...it didn't make it better." His face clouded over, and Joyce suddenly got the feeling that Angel wasn't talking to her anymore. "She had to watch one of her worst nightmares unfold and then, worse, you had to add in Faith. I had to kiss her, and grope her, and....it must have been terrible for Buffy to watch." 

Joyce felt the heavy silence hang around them. How would it feel to watch the man you loved being...intimate with a girl you had considered your friend. The double blow of Angelus must've been shattering. 

"She's strong, isn't she?" Joyce said after a moment, in wonder. "If I'd had to deal with everything she has, I think I'd die..." 

"You don't die." Angel said softly. "You deal. She has no other choice. This is what she was born for." 

"Doesn't make it any easier, though, does it?" Joyce questioned. 

Angel shook his head. "Nothing makes it easier." 

Something hit Joyce for the first time. She'd always known, subconsciously, but now...it was staring her in the face, and all she had to do was reach out and accept it. 

"This is never going to finish, is it?" She asked in a shaky voice. "She's never going to find her freedom." 

Angel sighed. "No. She won't." He looked at Joyce. "Can you handle that??" 

"Yes." She said after a few moments hesitation. Angel nodded slightly. 

"You love her, don't you?" Joyce asked, looking him squarely in the eyes. 

"More than I ever thought was possible." Angel replied earnestly. 

Joyce nodded slowly. "Good." 

And then she got up and walked out of the room. 

Scene 4: Passing Time 

Angel looked down at the pad in front of him, sweeping the biro over the page. His doodle took on a form; Buffy's face, her eyes smile and her lips curved into a soft smile. No big surprise there. These days, she was pretty much all he drew. Her or things connected to her. 

His pen moved over the page, defining her blond hair, shading in her cheekbone. 

He smiled, running his fingers over the picture, resting his fingers against her mouth. Nothing was quite as sweet as Buffy's lips. Nothing could compare to their smooth softness, their tantalizing warmth. He closed his eyes and took a deep, unneeded breath. The smell of vanilla and lavender lingered throughout the room, the familiar scents comforting him and bringing with them memories of nights spent in this room with Buffy, her kisses raining over his face and neck, his hands drawing languid circles on the small of her back. 

He smiled softly to himself. Such things had become forbidden so long ago, it seemed, and it was nice to know that that had changed. He hadn't told Buffy that, yet , of course. He wanted things to be perfect between them again, and the lingering shadow of Faith's games had ruined that for a while. 

Still, he supposed, he never would have known if she hadn't called in the shaman, so maybe he should be thanking her. Not likely. 

So now, things were getting back to normal with Buffy, and he'd be able to tell her soon. After they talked, he supposed. He hoped. The anticipation was killing him. 

But his soul was permanent. 

And that was good. 

Scene 5: Enter Sandman 

Buffy yawned as she trudged up the stairs, stretching and rolling her neck. She was sore all over, and she was on mental overload. It had been a long few days. Knowing everyone's secrets was exhausting. 

She smiled happily when she realized that Angel was waiting for her. She quickened her steps, rushing into the bedroom, her heart bursting at the sight of him sitting in her wicker chair, a small smile on his face as he drew. 

"Whatya drawing??" She asked, yawning as she came and curled up on the arm of the chair. He looked up at her and smiled. 

"You." He told her. "You save the students?" 

She nodded. "It was this whole big thing. Guns in the clocktower, rat poison in the cafeteria food. You drew this from memory?" 

He chuckled slightly at the abrupt redirection of topic. A look of wonder was on her face. He nodded. 

"You know, I look better in your drawings than I ever do in real life." 

Angel snorted. "Buffy, I draw you over and over again and it never comes close to looking as beautiful as you." 

She blushed, leaning her head against his shoulder and yawning. 

"Tired??" He asked, brushing her hair away from her face. She nodded sleepily, and he stood, taking her hand and pulling her up with him, she clasped his hand, letting him lead her over to the bed. She let him peel her shirt away, and felt her flannelette pyjama top settle around her shoulders. She was too tired to care about the intimacy factor. This wasn't about lust. This was caring, gentle sweetness. She knew it was completely innocent. Still, she couldn't help feeling a tingle in her shoulders as his fingers brushed against her skin. But it didn't matter. She was too tired. 

She felt his hands tug down her sweat pants and replace them with her pyjama pants. "Thanks." She murmured as he eased her down on the bed She smiled, attempting to tug him down on the bed with her. Finally he caved, flopping down next o her. She grinned, cuddling into his chest, their problems forgotten for the moment. 

"Now Sleep." He whispered sternly. 

And she did. 

Scene 6: Reunion 

Buffy awoke to the spicy smell of Angel's cologne, and smiled against his chest before peeking up at him. 

"How long have I been sleeping?" She asked, blinking. He smiled down at her, brushing her hair away from her eyes. 

"A little over an hour." He replied. 

"Mm. Seems longer." She said, Pulling herself up on herself up on her elbows. "I feel better." 

"I'm glad." He told her. 

She pushed the blankets away, slowly climbing out of the bed. She turned and leaned against her dresser, facing him. "I suppose we should talk." 

He nodded. "We should." 

They were both silent before Angel sighed. "I feel nothing for Faith, Buffy." 

She digested this. "I know that you don't emotionally, Angel, but she's gorgeous. I don't think I've ever met a guy who wasn't attracted to her." 

"I'm hardly a normal guy, Buffy. Besides, my all-encompassing obsession with you sorta doesn't leave much room for anything else." He gave her a lopsided grin. 

She smiled back, shifting slightly. "Besides. She's skanky." 

Angel chuckled softly, then grew serious as he watched her. "It still bothers you, though." 

She looked at her feet, and when she looked back a him, her eyes were troubled. She nodded miserably. "It's like....remember how you used to be about Xander???" 

He nodded. Irrational jealousy, all the way. 

"It's like that. I know you don't feel anything for her, but just...everytime I close my eyes, all I see is her wrapped around you. And it hurts. I can feel it twisting in my stomach, this rage just boiling up inside me." She looked away from him. "Kissing is about as intimate as we've been able to get in so long, and to see her kissing you....it was like watching....like watching you two....like watching her screw your brains out and there wasn't a goddamn thing I could do about it." 

Angel felt his stomach twist. The thought of having sex with Faith....He grimaced. It wasn't on his to do list. 

She looked at him miserably. "And I hated her because she had what I wanted and know I can never, ever, have again." 

"Don't be so sure." He murmured, standing, stepping towards her a capturing her face in his hands. 

"Angel, wha-" He cut her off by kissing her, trying to express everything he felt for her in that kiss. He poured into it that passion that fired his very existence, the need that nearly drove him insane, but more than anything else, he needed her to know how much he loved her. How she made him feel. 

At first, she hesitated, but then she melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him the way she used to. She arched against him, moaning, trying to create more contact. 

Somewhere, in the frenzied kissing, Buffy's mind must have slowed down again, because she pulled away and stepped back, tears welling in her eyes. "Angel, we can't. The curse...." She whimpered. 

He stepped toward her again, putting his arms around her waist and kissing and nipping at her neck. After a moment, he whispered into her ear. "See, that's what happens when you need a break. You miss out on important developments in your partners life." 

"You lost me on this one. I'm - ooohhhhh." She moaned as he found a sensitive spot behind her ear and suckled at it. 

"My soul is permanent." He told her. 

Her eyes widened in happiness and a laugh of pure glee escaped her lips as she threw her arms and legs around him, sending them both tumbling to the floor. Angel chuckled, continuing his task of giving her a hickey. 

"I guess it's a good thing my mom's gone to work, then." Buffy grinned, baring her neck to give him better access. 

He smiled. "Good thing." 

She placed her hands against his chest, pushing herself up so she sat, straddling his hips. She put her hands on the waist of his shirt, tugging it over his head even as he had begun to unbutton her pyjama top. She lowered herself down so they lay nose to nose, slowing down enough to trace the outlines of his face with her fingertips. He moaned and pulled her tighter against him, caressing her back with his hands, leaning into kiss her. 

She moaned into his mouth, their tongues dueling, bodies entwining as they rolled over the floor....and right onto Buffy's shoe. 

Buffy pulled away. "I'm thinking the bed might be a good idea." She grinned. 

"The bed. Right." Angel replied, sweeping her into his arms as they stood, He carried her to the bed, laying her softly down on the mattress before climbing on next to her. "You're so beautiful." He murmured, kissing her once more, helping her to undress. 

And no more words were exchanged. 

Well, a little moaning, maybe. 

Later, Buffy fell into an exhausted slumber in Angel's arms, dropping a kiss on his bicep as he slipped a protective over her shoulders. 

Scene 7: Afterglow 

Joyce walked into her kitchen later that night, surprised to find Angel and Buffy in the dim light. 

Angel was holding a bowl, stirring it slowly, leaning against the bench. Buffy sat behind him on the bench, her legs dangling on either side of his hips, her arms slipped around his waist, hands drumming out a steady rhythm on his abdomen. They looked up as she entered, and Buffy offered a bright smile. 

"Hi Mom! Angel's making pancakes!" She chirped, and Joyce raised an eyebrow. 

"You're in an awfully good mood." She said approvingly. 

Buffy grinned. "True." She said mysteriously. Angel looked up, barely repressing his own smile. 

"Hi Joyce." He said, and his voice was lighter, somehow, than it had been that afternoon. 

"Is someone gonna tell me what the big joke is??" Joyce asked, crossing her arms and leaning back, staring at them in good natured curiousity. 

"Nope." Buffy said, shaking her head. "Sorry Mom., Private Joke. You wouldn't get it." Buffy grinned, then thought of what she'd found out about Giles and Joyce that morning. "On the other hand...." She leaned her chin against Angel's shoulder. "Mom slept with Giles." 

Angel glanced at Joyce, then sidelong at Buffy. "I didn't wanna know that, Buffy." 

Joyce was mortified. "Buffy! Why did you tell him that???" 

"Because now you can't yell at me. Angel's soul is permanent." She said matter of factly, kissing his shoulder. 

Joyce raised her eyebrows. Ok, now the mood made sense. "Oh. Well that's....that's good." 

Buffy smiled, clearly impressed. "Cool. I was expecting at least a few 'being careful' riffs, not that matters cause he's technically dead, and...." She felt Angel stiffen beneath her, and trailed off. If he'd had circulation, he'd be blushing madly, she knew. "Sorry honey." She squeezed his stomach, and he covered one of her hands with his for a moment before going back to stirring. 

"So anyway, that's where the happiness vibe is coming from." Buffy explained. "No more un-relationship for this li'l slayer." 

Joyce nodded, knowing that even if she had the heart to object, her daughter wouldn't listen. Besides, what she saw was a couple very much in love. Her daughter was an adult now, and she wouldn't take away anything that made her happy. 

"Do you want some pancakes, Mom??" Buffy's voice cut through her thoughts. 

"Uh...can he cook???" 

Buffy grinned. "Oh, yeah." She said, accentuating the words with a tap on Angel's stomach. 

"Ok." Joyce nodded, sliding into a chair. 

Angel moved to the stove, pouring pancake batter into the frying pan. 

Buffy frowned as he walked away from her, but accepted the loss as necessary and jumped off the bench, taking a seat next to her mother, sneaking surreptitious glances at his back, assuring herself that he was there, and this was real. 

She sighed happily, content in the knowledge that this feeling would last a long, long time. 

Scene 8: Girl Talk (This is *after* Giles walks into the tree.) 

Buffy pushed the swinging doors into the library open, striding through, glancing at the clock, mentally working out exactly how long it would be until she saw Angel again. She flicked her hair over her shoulder, a petulant frown settling onto her face. 6 Hours. 

"Talked, huh??" She snapped her head around, seeing Willow, whose eyes were focused on the red mark behind 

Buffy's ear. "That's funny, cause that looks remarkably like a hickey." 

Buffy smiled. "That's because it is a hickey." 

A careful frown settled across Willow's features. "Buffy, you know that temptation is not a good thing, and I'm only saying this as a friend, even though it sucks the big one, because I don't want you and Angel to have to go through that again, and- What's so funny???" 

"You're so cute, Will." Buffy grinned. "And don't worry. His here to stay. Believe me. We tested it." A lazy smile spread over her face. "Believe me, we tested it. You could call us overachievers." 

"It's permanent??" Willow asked, shocked. Buffy nodded, and Willow shrieked, hugging Buffy. "That is *sooo* great! That's great!! Really great." A strange look settled on her. "I've always wondered what Angel looked like happy." 

"Well, you know how gorgeous and sexy Angel is when he's brooding??? He's even better when he's smiling. One corner of his mouth lifts up, and his eyes twinkle, and he does this little smirk thing. Satisfied, you know??" 

"You've paid a lot of attention to this, haven't you?" 

"Believe when I say, definitely. I couldn't take my eyes off him last night, Will. It' was like, everything was whole again. The world came into focus. And my Mom didn't freak or anything." 

"Your Mom?? What did she say???" 

"Something like 'Oh. That's nice'. And then we had pancakes." 

"Pancakes are always good." Willow agreed. 

"So you and Angel are like, 'You and Angel' again???" 

Buffy smiled happily. "Yep." 

"Couples are always good, too." Willow said gleefully. 

"Yeah." Buffy agreed. "They are." 

****

The End 

   [1]: mailto:starla_buzz@hotmail.com



	2. Dancing on Starstreams

Title: Dancing on Starstreams  


Author: Starla 

Disclaimer: Joss owns them. I lay no claim. 

Distribution: Yep, go ahead. Send me the addy. 

Series: This is the sequel to Catching Wishes. The Series is hereby known as Permanent Residence. 

Summary: Rewrite of the Prom. The guys have a little Prommy fun. 

Author's Notes: It has never *really* been established whether or not Angel can be photographed. So in my world. he can. Don't question me, fool! Some of the dialogue might be pretty much the same as the Prom, but it's been a while since I've seen it, so It's slightly changed. 

Feedback: Is important. Vital, even. Just send it. [throwmywalrus@bored.com][1]

The first thing Buffy noticed when she woke was the pleasant buzz that radiated through her body. 

The second was the feeling that she was being watched. 

Lazily, she opened her eyes, smiling sleepily at her lover. She moved closer to him, disapproving of the distance he'd put between them while she slept. 

"What're you doing all the way over there?" She mumbled, sliding her arms around his waist. 

"I had to crane my neck to look at you before. It got sore." He kissed her head. "So I stepped back to get some perspective." 

She let out a breath of laughter. "You talk about me like I'm some fine work of art or something." 

Angel ran his hand down her arm, looking at her seriously. "You are." 

She smiled happily. "That's so sweet." She paused. "I'm not one of those abstract things, am I? A hideous deformed mass????" 

Angel chuckled. "Nah. You're like an impressionist painting." 

"Oh." She frowned. "Aren't they the blurry things?" 

Angel smiled. "Yeah. No matter how long you look at them, you can never quite see everything that you know is inside. So you look, and you look, and things become clearer, but you can never quite work them out." 

Buffy blushed. "Personally, I think you've got me worked out pretty well." 

Angel shook his head. "You're still a mystery." 

"Is that good?" 

He didn't reply with words. Instead, he leaned down, softly pressing his lips over hers in a sweet, simple kiss. 

When he pulled away, her eyes were sparkling. "I'll take that as a yes, then." 

She reached up a hand to run it through her hair, only to find it a mass of knots and tangles. She made a face. "Not good." She went to stand up, and he made a sound like a small whimper. 

"Where are you going?" 

"To kill the skunk on my head." She replied. 

"No mirrors..." He reminded her. 

"Oh. Right." She frowned. "So how do I get rid of the roadkill??" 

"You don't . You look beautiful." He promised her, replacing his arms around her waist. 

"To you. But I'm thinking that if I go to school like this, people will notice." She told him. "And Point. And mock. And laugh." 

"And you can't do your hair without a mirror?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. 

"Are you kidding? That would be like, a 9.99 on the difficulty factor. It's impossible." 

"I do it every day." Angel shrugged. 

"Yeah, but you are a guy. Your hair is guy-like. A little gel, run a comb through it, tada! If it's messy, people just think that's the 'look' you were going for." She grinned mischeivously. "Besides, *you*? I hate to tell you this, Angel, but it ain't your hair they're noticing." 

He frowned, completely confused. "What are they noticing?" 

She laughed. "You are so completely clueless, sometimes, honey, I swear." She kissed him on the cheek. "You equals very sexy tall dark and yummy. This state of being guarantees that people's attention will not be focused on you hair looks like, but the package as a whole. You're droolworthy. Girls want you, and guys want to keep their girls away from you." 

Angel rolled his eyes. "That's not true." 

"Yes, it is." Buffy assured him. 

He frowned. "It is?" 

She nodded. "I hate to break it to you, honey, but you're a sexy beast." 

He laughed. "Ah well. We're a matching set. That's a good thing." 

"Speaking of matching, you need a tux." 

"I have the feeling I'm missing something." Angel said slowly. 

"The Prom." Buffy said, disentangling herself from Angel's arms, knowing from a glance at the clock that if she didn't start to get ready soon, she'd be late for school. "Y'know, dresses, tuxes, a band, maybe some practical joke involving pigs blood." She frowned. "I can't believe I haven't mentioned it before." 

"I think you have." Angel said thoughtfully. "I might have been a bit preoccupied with other things..." He indicated the small hickey on the side of her neck. 

Buffy grinned. "Note to Self:" She said aloud. "Don't tell Angel things while he's sucking." 

"Probably a good policy." Angel agreed. 

Buffy rummaged through her bag, looking for her compact, sighing when she realized that she'd forgotten it, she withdrew a knife, trying to see her reflection in the gleaming silver blade. 

"You really do need to get a mirror here, you know." She sighed, dropping the knife on the bed and tugging her brush through her hair. She'd stop by the bathrooms when she got to school. "And I should have a drawer. Girlfriends have drawers." 

Angel smiled, rising from the bed, gently taking the brush from her hands. "You, my dear, can have a whole dresser. A walk in closet if your heart so desires." He swore his unbeating heart fluttered when she smiled happily at him. 

"Cool. You know, dating a guy who has had hundreds of years to save his money makes sense." She smiled lazily at him. "He can afford me." 

Angel didn't reply, instead circling so that he stood behind her, lifting the brush to her hair. 

Slowly, he ran it through her golden locks, untangling the knots gently. 

Buffy closed her eyes, enjoying being fussed over. "Mmm. You're good at that." She murmured. 

"I used to have to brush my little sister's hair." She could hear the smile in his voice. "Every morning, and every night. And I had to plait it too." 

"It paid off. Magic hands. But then, I already knew that..." She said, grinning slyly. 

"Buffy, if you keep using that tone of voice, believe me, you'll be late for school." Angel told her. 

"Ok. I'll stop. I promise." 

****

Buffy was late for school. 

She strode into second period halfway though Miss Murray's lesson on poetry analysis, subconsciously fingering one of the plaits that dangled over her shoulder. 

"Uh, sorry I'm late." She said. "I had some...uh...stuff....." 

She was still Miss Murray's favourite student, though, thanks to her stolen interpretation of Othello. "Of Course, Buffy, sit down." 

Buffy obeyed, slipping into her seat next to Willow. She glanced at the board, quickly copying down her notes, then drifitng off into a pleasant haze of memories. 

Her pen moved over her page slowly, doodling. 

She was vaguely aware that she was drawing, semi-conscious of her surroundings, but mostly, she was back at the mansion sleeping peacefully in her lover's arms. 

The bell ringing brought her abruptly back to the present. She glanced down at her notepad, smiling when she saw what she had drawn. 

In the centre of the page, there was a heart, surrounded by a haphazard claddagh ring. In the centre of the heart, there was an angel, halo and all. 

It had fangs. 

Willow appeared behind her, leaning over her shoulder to get a look at the doodle. She groaned dramatically. "You have a one track mind." She teased. 

"I wish I could deny that." Buffy sighed, gathering her books and leaving the room with Willow. 

"I take it your 'stuff' was big smoochies with Angel?" Willow asked as they walked down the hall. 

Buffy grinned happily. "He plaited my hair." 

Willow glanced at her. "You're kidding. Angel did that? Wow, when did he go all stylist on us?" 

"The Eighteenth Century." Buffy replied. 

"Fair Enough." Willow shrugged. "Did you ask him about Prom?" 

"Ask? He was supposed to have a choice?" Buffy said in mock confusion. "Where would the fun in that be?" 

Willow giggled, and the girls split up, heading for their other classes. 

***** 

Joyce slid into her chair, smiling at her companion. 

Eric smiled warmly, reaching over and taking her hand. 

They ordered coffees, talking quietly until they arrived. Joyce stirred her cappucino thoughtfully. 

"My daughter's Prom is tomorrow night." She said idly, smiling when she thought of the beautiful dress Buffy had bought. 

"Ah, yes. Buffy." Eric said. "Have you....Does she know about me yet?" There was no bitterness in the question. Joyce had explained to Eric that se just wanted to get comfortable with him first before she introduced him to her daughter, and everything got complicated. 

She hadn't mentioned, though, that she also ahdn't wanted to flaunt a happy relationship in front of her daughter when she had been forced to miss those moments with her own boyfriend. 

Now that the situation with Angel had changed, that wasn't standing in the way anymore, everything was clear to tell Buffy all about Eric. 

Well, except for the part where she was terrified. Scared that Buffy wouldn't like him, or he wouldn't like her, or something else that would make the relationship impossible. 

"She's stressed right now. I think, it would be best to wait until after graduation. It wouldn't be fair to drop this on her now." 

Eric considered this. "Graduation is what, 2 weeks away?" He asked. Joyce nodded. He smiled. "I can deal with that."He took a sip of his coffee. "My kids are coming in from New York for the Summer. We can tell them, too." 

Joyce smiled nervously, wishing she felt as self assured as he sounded. 

"It'll be okay, Joyce." He said gently. 

Slowly, she nodded. "Yeah. I think maybe it will."   


****   


Buffy smiled into the mirror as she smoothed her hand over the skirt of her dress, half turning, watching the way the pink shimmered in the light. 

She'd stuck to basics with her hair and make-up, wearing just a little gloss on her lips and bronze shimmer powder over her collarbone and cheeks. 

She looked gorgeous, even if she did say so herself. 

"Angel's going to flip." Her mother said from the doorway. She looked at Willow, and rose one eyebrow. "As will Oz." 

"Oh, Oz isn't really the flippy type. He'll go 'hmm'." Willow said happily. 

Buffy laughed. "The Oz version of flipping." 

Buffy was reminded of an evening more than a year before when she and Willow had gotten ready together like this, in preparation for going trick or treating. She had been all excited about her costume, about the way it made her feel like a princess. 

This dress was better. It made her feel special, yes. But it also felt like *her*. The last dress had been a costume, a glamour to hide her true self, whereas this one...this one was to put all her best qualities on display. 

She felt strong, and vibrant, and knew that it wasn't because of the dress. She didn't need the dress. 

But she *really*, *really* liked it. 

The doorbell sounded, and Buffy nearly squealed. She'd never seen Angel in a tux before, never really been to a formal with him before. 

Her mother ran down the stairs to open the door, and Buffy had no doubt that she would have a camera out. 

She heard her mother's voice as she greeted Angel and Oz. Heard her beloved's rich, deep voice, and felt a tingle in her stomach. 

She and Willow left her room, and started down the stairs. She paused, taking in the picture of Angel in his formalwear. He wore a simple tux, with a white waistcoat and cravat. She noticed with a smile, however, that his jacket was kneelength. She didn't know ifi t was subconcious or not, but by now, in her eyes, the longer coat was his trademark. 

She swayed her hips as she descended the stairway, and locked eyes with Angel when he turned to see her. 

His lips parted slightly, and she saw his adam's apple bob as he swallowed. 

She beamed, stepping of the last stair and slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow. She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. 

"Hi Honey. Nice Threads." She murmured. 

He was speechless for a moment, before looking down at the corsage he held in his hands.He took her hand, kissing the back of it softly before clasping the corsage around her wrist. It was a white rose, it's silky petals tipped with pink. 

"You look stunning, my love." He whispered. 

She blushed, smiling sweetly. "Well, I try." 

"You don't have to." He replied. 

"Photos!" Joyce exclaimed happily, herding the foursome into the livingroom, where she took nearly an entire film of photos. 

After all, that's what mothers were for. 

**** 

Buffy and Angel walked arm in arm into the gym, the standard prom music of Fatboy Slim meeting their ears. 

Willow and Oz walked beside them, and Buffy spied Xander talking to Anya on the other side of the room. Cordelia flashed her an uexpected smile as she walked past with Wesley, and she saw Giles and Miss Murray laughing over a glass of punch. 

She caught a few interested stares from girls as she walked past with her sexy beast, and laughed, shaking her head. He was oblivious,.as always. 

She ran her hand up his arm as they walked, the expensive material feeling luxurious blanketing his hard biceps. They walked over to where Xander stood, and he looked relieved. 

"Buffy! You look gorgeous!" He said, too enthusiastically. "Anya was just telling me about the adventures she had when she was the patron saint of women scorned! Hey, did you know it was possible to tear a mans brain out through his ears?" 

"Yes." Buffy and Angel said in unison. 

Xander sighed. "Well I didn't. How come you never shared these fun facts with me before?" He asked sarcastically. 

"We'll just go, shall we?" Buffy said slowly, tugging on Angel's arm, leading him over to the dance floor as a slow, romantic song began. 

She slid her arms around his neck, and felt his hands come to rest on her hips as they swayed to the hypnotic beat. She made slow, lazy patterns on his neck with her fingers, playing with the clasp of the chain he wore. 

"I love you." They whispered at the same time, their lips meeting in a kiss. 

They didn't notice when the music was shut off and the committee began to give out awards. 

***** 

"Is Buffy Summers here?" Johnathon's voice croaked over the PA system. A murmur went through the crowd as they looked for her, swivelling. 

"Buffy Summers? Are you here tonight??" He repeated. WIllow turned, her eyes going wide as she spotted Buffy and Angel, still standing on the dancefloor, arms wrapped around each other, kissing intently. 

The rest of the crowd spotted her at a round the same time, but no-one said anything. 

The room went extremely quiet. 

Buffy and Angel finally broke apart, and stood, staring into each other's eyes for several moments before realizing that they were being watched. Slowly, they looked up to face the crowd. 

Buffy immediately blushed, and there were a few hoots and whistles throughout the room. 

Mostly, a whole bunch of people looked jealous. 

Johnathon stammered for a moment before speaking again. 

"We're not good friends. Most of us never took the time to get to know you, but that doesn't mean we haven't noticed you. Though we don't talk about it, it's no secret that weird things hapen at Sunnydale High." 

"Zombies!" 

"Hyena People!" 

"Snyder!" 

The whole room started laughing. 

"But whenever somehting creepy happened, you seemed to show up and stop it. Most of us have been saved by you, and I am happy to announce that the class of 1999 has the lowest mortality rate of any graduating class in Sunnydale History." He smiled proudly at this point. "So Buffy Summers, we award you, Class Protector!" 

Buffy glanced at Angel, still blushing from their interrupted kiss. 

She made her way to the stage, reluctantly releasing his hand, foing up to the stage, praying that she wouldn't have to make a speech. 

She took the golden parasol that Johnathon handed her, smiling gratefully at the class before making a quick escape back to Angel's arms. 

She buried her head in his chest, still absolutely mortified. "I've never been so embarrassed in my life." She muttered into his shirt. 

She pulled back, looking into his eyes. "It was worth it though." 

"Yeah." Angel agreed. "It was." 

And he kissed her again. 

**** 

They walked into the mansion together close to 4 hours later. Buffy stripped off her dress as they walked through the halls, hanging it on a coat hanger and shoving it in ANgel's closet before changing into a tank top and a pair of shorts and going back out to his lounge room, where Angel sat on his couch, his jacket and waistcoat sitting over the back of the loungesuit, his shirt half undone. 

She collapsed onto the sofa next to him cuddling into his side. "And I though slaying was tiring." She murmured, yawning. 

He laughed. "That was exhausting." He agreed. 

"It was fun though. And I got a new toy." She indicated the parasol that she'd dropped on his cofee table. 

"You earned it." He told her, brushing her hair away from her eyes. 

"Yeah." She agreed sleepily. "I did." 

She held his hand as she fell asleep. 

And she passed another night in his arms. 

FIN 

<

   [1]: mailto:throwmywalrus@bored.com



	3. Sparkling Conversation

Sparkling Conversation 

Sparkling Conversation

by Starla

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns pretty much everything. Eric is mine.   
Distribution: As always, I'm being generous. Anyone who wants it, just send me an address.  
Author's Notes: The meaning of life is....  
Series: Third in the Permanent Residence series.   
Summary: Set at the start of Summer, just after Graduation Day. Just imagine that ep if Angel wasn't leaving. I'm sure most of you have contemplated it...: ) Buffy meets Eric.  
Feedback: Is a yes. Definitely. 

Buffy clutched Angel's hand as they walked through her font door. They'd been doing an early sweep, and she was exhausted, still tired from the events of Graduation Day. She wound her arms around his, holding on to him for all she was worth, leaning against him, yawning. 

He stopped for a moment, pressing a soft kiss to her head. "Tired?" 

"Mmmmm." She confirmed. 

"C'mon. I'll make you something to eat, and then you're going to bed." He said firmly. 

"Will you tuck me in?" She asked, as playfully as she could muster. 

"If you're good I'll read you a story." He shot back, leading her towards the kitchen. 

Once he got there, he paused in the doorway, tensing. 

A man stood inside, studying a magazine that lay open on the counter. He was alone. 

"Hello." Angel said quietly, startling the guy. 

He jumped from the stool, putting a hand to his chest. "You scared me." 

Angel looked down at his girlfriend, who was still nestled against his back. "Buffy?" 

She snapped back to consiousness. "Huh? What? Angel?" She spotted the man. "Who the hell are you?" 

The man flinched. "Uh...I'm a friend of your mothers. She's just gone upstairs for a moment." He awkwardly held a hand out. "I'm Eric." 

Angel looked at his hand for a moment, then, realizing that Buffy definitely wasn't going to take it, shook it. "Uh, Angel. The comatose girl is Buffy." 

The sound of a small thump reached Eric's ears, and Buffy's muffled voice followed seconds later. "I resent that. I'm not comatose. I'm very much awake, thankyou very much." 

Angel rolled his eyes, walking further into the kitchen and guiding her into a stool. "So...a friend of Joyce's..." Angel began awkwardly. 

"Actually, I'm more of an...an....a boyfriend type." Eric said nervously. 

Angel raised an eyebrow, smiling as he crossed to the refrigerator. "You're lucky that Buffy is asleep, then." 

"It's gonna be that bad.?" 

"She plays the protective daughter well." Angel said. "But don't worry. I'll be the stand in for now. What do you do?" 

"I'm an architect." 

"Ever been married?" 

"Divorced. Two kids around Buffy's age. Twins." 

"Reason for divorce?" 

"It was amicable. We just grew apart." 

"How long have you lived in Sunnydale?" Buffy said, lifting her head, apparently not having been fully sleep. 

"A year and a half." Eric replied, his anxiety growing. He'd never been so terrified as he was by the five foot tall , half asleep, blonde teenager. 

"You moved here?" Buffy said. "By choice?" She raised both eyebrows. "Some people are just sick." 

"Well, you and your mother chose to move here." Eric pointed out. 

"Higher Power. Destiny, yada, yada, yada." Buffy mumbled, then realized what she'd just said. "Uh, never mind."

Angel had been studying the contents of the fridge during Buffy's exchange with Eric. He shut it and returned to her side, leaning down to talk to her. "Honey, what do you want to eat?" 

"Brownies." She replied, smiling. 

Angel lifted an eyebrow, then glanced at Eric. "There's a balanced diet for ya. " He looked at Buffy. "I'm not making you brownies for dinner." 

"But I want them." Buffy yawned. "And I love you." She smiled sweetly and kissed his cheek. 

"No." Angel said, with a great deal of difficulty. "You have to eat some real food." He reminded her. "Plus, your mother would kill me." 

"No, she wouldn't. She likes brownies too." Buffy said, looking at him through innocent eyes. 

"Buffy, I love you, but we're not eating brownies for a meal." 

She sighed. "Fine. I'll eat some of that 'real-food' crap." 

"Pasta?" 

"Sounds good." She said, but pouted. "No chocolatey goodness, though." 

"Tell you what." Angel said, gathering her hands in his and bringing them to his mouth for a kiss. "You eat the pasta- whatever sort you like- and I'll make brownies for you later." 

"But I'm gonna go to bed." 

"So I'll make them while you're sleeping." Angel said. 

She frowned. She wanted the brownies, brownies were good. She also wanted to fall asleep in Angel's arms. But then, they *were* talking about brownies.... 

"Deal." She said finally. 

Angel smiled, kissing her forehead. "Good girl." 

"You're spoiling her, Angel." Joyce's voice reached him. 

Angel straightened, turning to face Joyce. "She deserves it." 

"Did I hear you talking about pasta?" Joyce asked. 

"Yeah, You guys want some?" He asked. 

"That would be great." Joyce said, her eyes flickering to Buffy. "I'd been hoping she'd be a little more lively when she met Eric." 

"It's been a long day." Angel replied, setting about making the pasta. 

Buffy yawned. "You know, if I'm going to get through the next five minutes awake, I'm going to have to shower." She stood, walking over and standing behind Angel, peering over his shoulder as he chopped onions. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and he turned slightly, allowing her to give him a quick kiss on the side of his mouth. He smiled slightly, and then she left, dragging herself up the stairs. 

"That was much easier than I expected. " Eric said after several moments. 

Angel glanced at him and smiled. "You aren't exactly out of danger yet. Wait til she's awake." 

"Angel, you're scaring him." Joyce laughed. 

"I'm just telling him to be prepared." Angel objected. "You can't send him in there unarmed." 

Joyce laughed. "She's not that bad, I swear." 

**** 

Buffy ran her hand through her hair as she bounced down the stairs, dressed in one of Angel's silk sweaters and a pair of old bluejeans. Her shower had given her a new burst of energy, which she knew would be short lived, but she planned to use it to the best of her advantage. 

The Target: Eric. The Objective: Annihalation. 

Unless of course she liked him, which considering her Mom's track record was not of the likely. 

The smell of Napoli Sauce hit her nostrils as she strolled into the kitchen, and she smiled, savoring the perfection of her boyfriend. Rich, handsome, good cook, and those hands.... 

She sighed, making eye contact with him as he removed the sauce from the stove, pouring it into a blue patterned bowl. She put her hands on the bench, leaning over and kissing him. 

He returned the kiss, lifting one of his hands, cradling her cheek with his big palm. 

She pulled away finally, nuzzling her nose against his. "Where's my Mom?" She asked after several moments. 

"She and Eric are in the living room." Angel explained. 

"So what's the goss? Are you getting any evil vibes?" 

"Not really. Seems like a regular guy. Two kids living in New York, a girl and a boy around your age. He owns his own firm, and they do pretty well. He drives a BMW. He met your Mom through the Gallery." 

"Aren't you Information Guy! How'd you find out all that?" 

"I dabbled in the Art of Conversation." He shrugged, picking up the bowl of Sauce. "You wanna get the Spaghetti?" 

She picked up the bowl of spaghetti and a plate of parmesan, and followed him into the dining room. 

"Mom!" She yelled, ignoring Angel when he rolled his eyes. 

Moments later her mother walked into the dining room, followed closely by Eric. 

Buffy briefly narrowed her eyes, and then smiled vibrantly at Eric, walking over to him. "Hi, I know we met before, but I was slightly trashed and I have the feeling I wasn't very welcoming." She held her hand out. "I'm Buffy." 

Eric seemed *way* nervous. He took her hand, shaking it. "I'm Eric. Your mother never stops talking about you." 

"It's one of her most attractive habits." Buffy joked, carefully considering his handshake. 

Firm, but Gentle, warm, without seeming overly intimate. She couldn't hate him on account of his handshake. It was very nice as handshakes went...She frowned slightly, but took a seat next to Angel. 

She started right in with the interrogation. 

"So Eric, how long have you been dating my mother?" She asked casually, leaning back in her chair. Lull your prey into a false sense of security, and then *BOOM* strike.... She thought gleefully, her hunter's mind spinning. 

"Uh, Um, A-Around Six Months." Eric stuttered. 

Buffy lost all pretense of calm. "Six Months? Six?" She asked incredulously. She swivelled to face her mother. "Why the hell didn't you tell me??" 

Joyce paled under Buffy's furious gaze, fussing with her napkin. "Well, I, well...." She sighed. "I was worried about how you would react." 

"How I would react?" Buffy shrieked. "What do you think I am, a child?" 

"Well you are certainly acting like one." Joyce replied. 

"Mom, I'm not denying you the right to a relationship. I can't, after you've been so great about Angel...I'm just saying...Six Months is a long time to hide this from me." Buffy said, calming down considerably after Angel placed a comforting hand on her arm. 

"I know. I guess...I guess I was a little afraid." Joyce admitted. 

"Buffy, we were just very concerned that you would object to our relationship. Your mother told me that you have had problems with her boyfriends in the past..." Eric trailed off. 

"Ted was a *psycho*. He tried to kill us." She glanced at Angel. "And he read my diary." 

"But you had problems with him before you knew that he was insane." Joyce pointed out. 

"He gave me the wiggins." Buffy said, frowning. 

"He threatened her." Angel added. 

Buffy almost smiled at the look on Angel's face. Like he was stunned by the audacity of the man to threaten *his* girl. Almost smiled, but didn't. There were more serious matters at hand. 

"I must admit, I can see why you would be a little...anxious...about your mother getting a new boyfriend, especially from what I've heard about Ted. But Buffy, I love your mother. And I would never hurt her, ever." Eric said slowly, leaning forward, his eyes pleading. 

Buffy pursed her lips, looking at him. "You say that. But sometimes, no matter how much you love a person, you can't help but hurt them." She shook her head. "It happens. There's nothing you can do about it." She glanced at Angel, gave him a small smile. "But don't make promises you can't keep, Eric. False hopes are dangerous." 

Eric stared at his girlfriend's daughter for several long moments, before a sad look fell upon his face. "Very cynical words for someone so young." 

Buffy swallowed, managing a small smile. "I'm not cynical. I'm a realist." 

"So you don't indulge in fantasies?" Eric asked, cocking his head to the side. 

Buffy shot Angel a mischeivous grin. "I wouldn't say that." She turned her attention back to Eric. "I've just accepted that in some areas of life it's futile to hope for it to go your way. You have to go with the flow." 

Eric nodded, accepting this. "I suppose you are right." 

"Which is why I'm giving you a chance." Buffy said slowly. "But if you turn out to be an asshole I wont hesitate in killing you." She smiled levelly. "Painfully. Possibly along the lines of evisceration." 

Silence reigned for a few moments, acknowledging their agreement, and then Buffy picked up the bowl of pasta. "Spaghetti?" 

**** 

"She hates me." Eric said firmly, sitting on the porch with Joyce. 

"Believe me, she doesn't." Joyce reassured him. "If she hated you, you'd be in a lot 

shabbier condition." 

"Well, she doesn't like me much." Eric said. 

Joyce leaned backward. "She doesn't know you." 

"Still..." 

"Buffy has issues when it comes to trusting people." Joyce said. "Justified issues. And she doesn't want me getting hurt. She'll come around." 

Eric gazed at her, unsure. "I hope so." 

**** 

Buffy swam back to consciousness when she felt the bed shift and dip slightly. She opened her eyes, finding herself staring at Angel's velvet covered back. He was sitting on the edge of her bed, placing something on her side table. She moved as silently as she could, trying not to attract his attention until the perfect moment. When she was kneeling behind him, she slid her arms around his waist. She giggled when she felt him jump, and gave him a playful nip on the shoulder. "Boo." 

He turned his head slightly to look at her, and smiled. "You're awake." 

"Indeedy-do." She confirmed. "Whatcha doing?" 

"Bringing Madam her midnight snack." Angel said, gesturing to the side table. Buffy followed his actions, her eyes lighting up in glee when she saw a plate of Brownies and a glass of milk waiting for her consumption. 

"I can't believe you actually made them!" Buffy cried happily, tightening her arms around him in a giant hug. "That is just so sweet." 

"You're worth it." Angel said, pulling out of her arms, easing himself up the bed so that he leaned against the headboard. 

She grinned. "Ok. But one day *I'm* gonna feed *you*" She promised. 

Guilt passed over Angel's face, and his eyes darted to the scar on her neck. She realized what she'd just said. 

"You already did." Angel said quietly. "And it's not going t happen again." 

"Angel. No brooding. My decision, remember? I didn't give you a choice." She said firmly. 

"I-" 

"No!" She said, smiling. "Now give me a Brownie." 

He gave her a small grin and handed her the plate. She leaned against his chest, nibbling on her munchies. They sat in thoughtful, companionable silence before Buffy spoke. 

"Do you think they'll get married?" She whispered. 

Angel snapped out of his trance and looked at her. "I don't know, Buffy. They've only been dating Six Months." 

"We'd been dating less than six months when you gave me the claddagh ring." She said softly. "And that's technically a wedding ring, right?"

"But I'd been in love with you for nearly two years." Angel pointed out. "And I knew that you were my soulmate." 

"I guess, but..." She trailed off. 

"Would it really be that bad if they did?" Angel asked, kissing her forehead. 

"It's just...I'm the Slayer. I'm not the kind of person someone wants as a step daughter. And I can't give reasons for my behaviour, so he'd just think I was acting up. It'd be junior year all over again." 

"But you'll be moving out soon, anyway." Angel pointed out. "You wouldn't have to explain yourself to him very often." 

"Moving out..." She looked at Angel, her eyes large. "So much is changing, all at once." She whispered. "Giles doesn't have a job, Mom is dating, I don't work for the council anymore..." She sighed. "I'm just worried that it's all going to change to much and I'm not going to like the way it all turns out." 

"It's the chance you have to take." Angel told her, picking at a piece of the Brownie she held in her hand. "It would be very boring if everything stayed the same." 

"I suppose..." She conceded. She looked at him. "Promise you'll love me no matter what?" 

"Even if you were covered with slime, my dear. Even if you were covered in slime." He said, smiling. 

She nodded, satisfied, and leaned back against his chest. 

Silence fell once again. 

Buffy closed her eyes, thinking of her mother, and the happiness that she deserved. Angel was right, she was moving out soon, and her mother would be all alone. 

It was kind of comforting to know that she and Eric could be alone together. 

Finally, she let out a sigh and looked at Angel. "I'm not going to make any promises. And I'm never, ever going to eat his cooking. But I'll do my best to get along with him." 

Angel was smirking at her. 

"What?" She huffed indignantly. 

"You have brownie on your nose." He told her, and leaned in to kiss it away. 

****

The End 


	4. Shimmering Tears

shimmering

Shimmering Tears

by Starla (throwmywalrus@bored.com)

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon and associates own all rights to the Buffyverse and it's characters. I own Eric, and his children, though if you ask them, they will insist that they are free agents.   
Distribution: Yep, sure, go ahead. Also, just a note: If you already have something of mine, anything, you are free to take whatever you want. I give 'blanket permission' (as Rae called it.)  
Series: The Permanent Residence series: Story no.4 .  
Summary: Eric's kids come to town, at the same time, Angel is out of town.   
Author's Notes: I started this series ages ago, and there are parts of it that make me cringe now. Sigh.   
Feedback: *In my most polite voice.* I really would be most grateful....*batting my eyelashes* if you would lavish me with attention.... 

"I don't see why I have to meet them." Buffy grumbled. "They're *your* un-stepkids." 

"Buffy, we've been over this. They don't know anyone in town." Joyce sighed. 

"And that merits the missage of quality time with Angel??" Buffy asked, looking up from the tomatoes she was chopping. 

Joyce rolled her eyes. "Three hours away from Angel: Whatever will you do?" 

"No, not just three hours. Four days!" Buffy said. "Four entire Un-Angely days!" 

Joyce stopped what she was doing and looked up at her daughter. "Four days?" 

"Giles is sending him west to check out some gathering of evil forces or something like that." Buffy told her. "He's leaving in an hour and a half." She said, glaring at her mother. "Around the same time we'll be sitting down to a nice, polite, dinner with people I don't know." 

Joyce stared at her daughter, knowing instinctively that the next couple of days were gonna be hell on the Slayer's temper. She could already picture her daughter's moping. And worrying. If he was fighting some evil monster type, there was no guarantee that he would be back. 

"Go. Say goodbye." Joyce said. "I'll finish up here." 

Buffy's eyes widened. "Really??" She almost squealed. 

"I don't think I could stand the moping if you didn't." Joyce said with a smile. 

"You're the best." Buffy said, hugging her mom tightly. "I won't be too long, I promise." 

"Now, we both now that's a big fib." Joyce smiled, but Buffy was already flying out the door. 

"Bye Mom!" 

**** 

Angel sighed to himself as he dumped a couple of shirts in his duffel bag, then zipped it up and dumped it next to his bed. He lay down on his bed slowly, passing the time until the sun's last rays faded and he could set off. 

Not that he really wanted to set off. He wanted to stay here, wrap his arms around Buffy, and fall asleep with her in his arms. He sighed again, and closed his eyes, willing sleep to come. 

He wasn't tired. 

He groaned and rolled over, burying his head into the soft pillow, inhaling the scent that still lingered there. 

And then the scent got stronger, and the tingle that signified her presence spread throughout his body. He smiled to himself, quickly rolling over and playfully grabbing her around the waist, pulling her on to the bed next to him. 

She giggled. "Hi." 

"Hi." He replied, staring into those big hazel eyes, memorizing every curve of her face, every movement she made. Not that they weren't already burned into his memory. 

"I thought you had to help your mother with dinner." He said, pulling her closer so that her head lay on his chest. He tried not to concentrate on the lazy patterns she was tracing on his stomach. 

"I did. My Mom let me off to say goodbye." She explained, lifting her head and placing little, open mouthed kisses on his chin. 

"Remind me to thank your mother." Angel grinned, cradling her chin in his fingers, tilting her head up so that he could press his lips against hers, nibbling hungrily at her lower lip. 

Buffy groaned, nuzzling her nose against his. "Angel, honey, I really don't wanna be talking about my mother right now." 

"I get your point." He rolled them over so that she lay beneath him, lifting himself up, balancing his weight on his forearms. He smiled down at her. "I love you." 

"God, how many times do you have to tell me that?" Buffy said with a playful grin. "I get it, ok???" 

"Just as long as you know." Angel replied, his lips descending on hers again. 

"I love you." Buffy said when he finally let her get some air. 

"Am I going to get in trouble if I tell you again??" Angel asked with a small grin. 

"I lied. *Never* stop telling me." She said, reaching up a hand to carress his face. "It makes my stomach go all loose and wobbly, and my skin all tingly." 

"Me too." He replied. "I love you." 

"Mmm. Love you more." She said, moving her hand to the back of his neck. 

"Everything is a competition with you." He huffed, but couldn't stop the smile from reaching his face. 

She tugged his face down to hers. "Just kiss me." 

"I'd be a fool to complain." He told her, slanting his lips across hers. 

They kissed hungrily, hands tangling in hair, legs twisting and twining through one another, lips roaming away from each other to carress necks and fingers and utter words of devotion. Flesh was bared, and hungry fingers devoured naked skin. 

And all thoughts of departure were forgotten....for the moment. 

*** 

Buffy and Angel sat in his car, Buffy curled up to his side as he drove her home. 

"Do you have to go??" She asked, her voice muffled by his shoulder. 

Angel pulled into her driveway, and dropped a soft kiss on her forehead. "You know I do, baby." 

"Are you sure I can't come?" She questioned. "I mean, it's not like I have school or anything." 

"Your Mom needs your support." Angel reminded her. "She needs you right now." 

"I know." She sighed, then looked up into his eyes. "Angel... " She whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "What if we never see each other again???" 

"Baby, it's only four days." He said, cupping her cheeks in his hands. "I'll be back before you know it." 

She closed her eyes to try and stop the current of tears that ran down her face as she repeated the words from long ago. "In case you haven't noticed, someone pretty much always wants us dead." 

"And in case you haven't noticed, we have a habit of killing them first." He told her, trying to be reassuring. 

"We've been lucky." She said. 

"OK, so reassurance isn't working." Angel said. "How about distraction?" 

"Huh?" She was confused. 

He fumbled in his pocket. "I was going through some boxes the other day." He explained. "And I found this. I've been waiting for the right moment to give it back to you." 

She gasped when he produced her claddagh ring. It glinted in the moonlight. "My ring!" She cried happily, and then. "Are you sure you still want me to have it?" 

"Beloved, I can't think of anyone, ever, who I'd rather wore it." 

Her eyes welled with tears again as he slid it on to her finger, heart facing inwards. She smiled at the way it nestled perfectly into place, as if it were an extension of her hand, rather than an accessory. 

"You're a sweet talker, you know that?" She said, moving into his hands as he wiped her tears away with the pads of his thumbs. 

"Well, it's a talent." He joked, leaning over and pressing his lips against hers in a soft, gentle kiss. "Now, I'll be back in Four days. Try not to forget me by then." 

"Never gonna happen." She whispered, leaning her forehead against his. "I love you." 

"Always." Angel said. 

They shared one last, brief kiss, and then Buffy got out of the car, clasping his hand desperately or as long as possible before closing the door. She leaned toward him over the side of he convertible. "Call me, ok??" 

"I promise." He said, sensing her still present anxiety. 

She gave his hand a squeeze, then straightened. 

She blew him a kiss as he pulled away, and didn't go inside till the car vanished from sight. 

***** 

Buffy stopped short when she went into the lounge room. She'd forgotten all about her guests. 

The guests who sat on the loungesuite, staring at her. 

"Uh....Hi." She said slowly. "Sorry I'm late." She realized that she must look a lot like a racoon, or maybe one of it's cousins. She could still feel the dampness on her cheeks, a result of the tears that had flooded her cheeks only minutes earlier. 

"Buffy!" Joyce exclaimed, entering from the kitchen, carrying a tray of antipasto. "Did Angel get away okay?" 

"Yeah...." She sighed. 

Eric stood. "Buffy, I'd like you to meet my kids, Ariel and Clint. Clint and Ariel, this is Joyce's daughter Buffy." 

Bufy surveyed the boy and girl standing before her. Eric had told her that they were 18, twins, and that they had never been to Sunnydale before. Apart from that, she had to make her own conclusions. 

The girl, Ariel, was just a little taller than Buffy, with long, wavy black hair and striking blue eyes staring out at her from behind black framed glasses. Definitely exotic, and definitely gorgeous. Buffy made a mental note to keep her away from Angel. 

Not that I'll have to worry about *that* for a few days. Buffy thought grumblingly. 

She moved her gaze to Clint, who was tall and muscular with the same blue eyes as Ariel, but dusty brown hair in place of her jet black locks. He too, was gorgeous, and in the old days, pre-Angel, Buffy would have been drooling all over her sneakers. 

But these weren't the old days, so she just smiled easily and waved. "Hi." 

"Hi.....Are you okay??" Ariel asked. 

"I'm bad at goodbyes. My boyfriend just went away." 

"For how long??" Ariel asked, a sympathetic look in her eyes. 

"I don't wanna say....It makes me sound really pathetic." Buffy said sheepishly, then groaned. "Four days. It's just...circumstances....It's a long story." 

"Well, it's nice to meet you." Clint said. 

"Likewise." Buffy said, then looked around the room. Her mother and Eric had left the room to prepare the dinner, and Buffy flopped into a chair, picking up an olive and popping it into her mouth. "You guys don't do this much either, huh?" She said after several long, silent moments. 

"Dad isn't much on the dating scene." Ariel confirmed. 

"Mom either. Her last boyfriend...I really don't wanna go there." Buffy said with a shudder. Ted freaked her beyond the telling of it. 

"So...Have you lived here all your life?" Clint asked, taking a seat across from Buffy. 

Buffy snorted. "No. Thank God." She nibbled on a breadstick. "I grew up in LA. Moved here when I was sixteen." 

Ariel made a face. "Big transition." 

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" Buffy said. "And I guess it was, but there was the same old high school politics." 

"I don't think they ever change, no matter where you go." Ariel said knowingly. 

"All I can say is, thank god it's over." Buffy laughed. 

"So, what is there to do around here?" Clint asked, leaning back in his chair. 

"Well...." Buffy said. "We enjoy a spot of berry picking." 

"Please, tell me you are joking." Ariel grimaced. 

"Yes. I'm joking. There's the usual...cinemas, a cool coffee shop...the beach...oh and the Bronze. It's a club in the 'bad part of town'. A friend of mine is in one of the regular bands. They're playing tonight. Maybe we could stop by." 

"Okay..." Clint said, then smiled. "The 'bad part of town'?" He repeated. It was clear that he found the idea amusing. "Is it dangerous?" 

Buffy grew serious, looking at him for several moments before speaking in a low voice. "All of Sunnydale is dangerous." 

"Be serious." Ariel laughed. 

"I am." Buffy said. "If there's one piece of advice I can offer you to make your summer more enjoyable, it's don't go out alone at night. Stick to well lit, public areas." She paused. "And don't talk to strangers." 

"Yes, mother." Clint said, smirking. 

"I'm serious. Sunnydale has a....darker...element. We have more unexplained disappearances and unsolved murders in relation to our population than anywhere else in America." 

"Well....that fills me with confidence." Ariel cringed. 

"We live in New York." Clint said. "I think we'll be fine." 

Buffy sighed. She wasn't gonna get through to them. "Humour me?" 

"Yeah, ok." Ariel said. 

"Thank you." 

Moments later, Buffy's mother called them to the table, and they were freed from the awkward silence. 

***** 

"So...Buffy, I was hoping you could give Ariel and Clint a tour of Sunnydale." Eric said, spearing a piece of chicken on his fork. 

"Yeah, okay. Tomorrow, though." Buffy said. "I was kinda hoping to go to the Bronze tonight." 

"Is Oz playing??" Joyce asked, eating a french fry. 

"Yeah, there'll be a little dingo action." Buffy said. She caught Ariel and Clint's confused expression. "Dingoes Ate my Baby. The band I told you about." 

"Are they any good??" Clint asked, playing with his glass. 

"They suck with style." Buffy grinned. 

"Sounds promising." Ariel laughed. "Am I going to have to change??" She looked down at her clothing, a black tanktop and dark grey trousers. 

"Nah, you'll be fine." Buffy said, then looked down at her cut off jeans and maroon gypsy style shirt. "I, however, am going to. May I be excused?" 

Her mother nodded, and Buffy wiped her mouth with her napkin, stood, and went upstairs. 

Clint glanced at her plate, still almost full. "She doesn't eat much, does she?" 

***** 

Buffy closed her door behind her, crossing to her closet and rummaging through it. She mumbled to herself as she pushed garments aside. "Too green...too tight....too loose...too seethrough....Couldn't hide a stake in *that* if my life depended on it...which, technically it does, so....moving on..." 

Finally, she pulled out a knee length silver silk skirt and a black v neck sleeveless tee. Quickly, she changed into the outfit, twirling in front of the mirror. 

She frowned. Not seeing Angel in the mirror tricked her into thinking he was there. 

And so began the moping. He was *supposed* to be lying on her bed, casually flicking though a magazine as she changed. He was *supposed* to be giving his opinion on her outfits, which she never listened to anyway because he would tell her she looked beautiful if she was wearing a flourescent green boob tube and under bright pink overall shorts and a pair of navy slouch socks. 

He was supposed to be there, with her, instead he was on his way to the demonic mardi gras. 

She sighed and slipped a stake into the waistband of her skirt, then sat on her bed, pulling on her black mary janes. The glint of her ring caught er eye, and she brought her hand up to the light to inspect it. 

It'd been so long since she'd looked at it...really looked at it. Even before she'd left it in the mansion all those months ago, she'd deliberately avoided looking at it. It hurt to remember everything they'd had before. 

It hurt to picture never having it again. 

Which is why his absence frightened her so. Shewas scared that if something happened to him... She wasn't sure she could survive being without him again. 

She wasn't sure that she could sleep if she was in a lonely bed for too many consecutive nights. She slept best with his arms around her, her head pillowed on his broad chest, the flesh of her cheek rubbing against his cool skin. She was happiest when she woke up to find him watching her, one of his hands entangled in her hair, the other slowly tracing the length of her body. 

She sighed, knowing that she was making herself crazy. "He'll be back." She murmured to herself, but the words held no comfort. She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly cold. Making a snap decision, she went to her closet, taking out his leather jacket. She lifted it to her face, breathing him in, the scent making her smile. She pulled it on slowly. It was still huge on her, her tiny body swimming in the leather. She wore it like her armour, as if it could protect her from the darkness and death. 

It made her feel closer to him. 

She had a feeling she'd be wearing a lot of his clothing in the oncoming days. 

***** 

Angel pulled his car into the parking lot of a bed and breakfast, flickering his gaze over the white front of the quaint little bedsit. It'd been just over 2 hours, and already he missed Buffy so much that he thought he might be driven insane. 

He sighed, and checked in. 

Once in his room, he dropped his duffel bag onto the bed, stripping off his jacket and shirt and draping them over the back of the desk chair. He kicked off his shoes, removed a book of poetry from his bag and flopped into the large, soft armchair that sat in the corner of the room. He opened the book, attempting to concentrate on the words, but the letters blurred on the page, and all he saw was her name. He groaned, rubbing his eyes and dropping the book. There was a remote sitting next to the chair, so he picked it up, switching the tv on and flicking through the channels before settling on a station that was showing the local news. The presenter's face morphed into Buffy's, and her voice was all that reached his ears. 

He admitted defeat, making a grab for the phone. Quick as lightning, he dialed her number, tapping his foot impatiently as it rang. 

***** 

Buffy was almost out the door when she heard the phone ringing. 

"Hold on, I'll just get that." She told Clint and Ariel, and grabbed the hall phone, smiling at them apologetically. "Hello?" She said into the receiver. 

"Hey. It's me." There was a pause. "Angel." 

"Honey, I can recognize your voice." She smiled. "I'm not a complete flake." 

There was a chuckle. "Sorry, baby. Little spacy myself, tonight." 

"Why's that??" She asked, leaning against the wall, a lazy smile spreading across her face. 

"I miss you." He said simply. 

"*You* have no self control." She giggled. 

"Is that a problem for you??" Angel asked, and she could hear the smile in his voice. 

"Not at all." She replied, and then paused. "I was doing your brooding thing earlier. I'm wearing your jacket." 

"Don't brood, beloved. You can never beat me." Angel said seriously...and then: "You're wearing my jacket?" 

"Mmmhmm. How bout you?" She asked, her mouth twisting into a mischeivous grin. 

"I'm *not* wearing my jacket." Angel said. "Or my shirt. Just the pants. It's hot here." 

She groaned. "Angel, honey, don't tease me." She realized that she wasn't alone. "I'm on my way to the Bronze. With Eric's kids. They're waiting for me." 

"Is that your subtle way of telling me that you aren't alone?" 

"Yeah." 

"Okay. I'll let you go then." 

She sighed. "Okay. Be careful." 

"You too. I love you." He said softly, his voice quiet and fond. 

"I love you too." She said. "Are you going to call again?" 

"If you want me to." 

"I do." 

"Okay. I love you." 

"You already said that." She laughed. 

"You said never to stop saying it." 

"I did didn't I?" 

"You're supposed to be going." 

"I know. G'night, sweetie. Love you." 

"Always." 

She put down the phone, letting her fingers linger on the receiver before turning back to Ariel and Clint, who had identical amused expressions playing across their faces. 

Buffy blushed. "Welcome to the Buffy and Angel Show. Where every day is mushfest." 

****

The End 


	5. Midnight Whispers

midnight

Midnight Whispers

by Starla

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns the Buffyverse.   
Distribution: Yeah. Address. Send. Me.   
Series: Permanent Residence. Set after Shimmering Tears. Rest of the series can be found at my site.  
Summary: *Short*. Angel calls Buffy again.   
Feedback: Please? i'll accept anything. 

Buffy climbed the stairs quietly, remembering only as she reached her room that her Mom was at Eric's for the night - something she *so* didn't want to think about. 

She changed out of her patrol clothes and into one of Angel's old t-shirts and her favourite purple cotton boxers. The shirt fell to her knees, the v-neck sliding around and exposing one shoulder. She stretched, luxuriating in the smell of him surrounding her. 

Pulling back the covers, Buffy slid into the bed, staring longingly at the space beside her. It was true that Angel rarely slept over in her bed, but an an empty bed was still an empty bed. She needed him beside her, his cool, strong arms encircling her waist or draping protectively across her shoulders. She wanted to burrow into his chest, away from the harshness of her everyday reality. 

She groaned, rolling onto her stomach, burying her face in the pillow. "Quit being such a baby, Buff. You'll see him again in-" She lifted her head to look at the glowing blood red figures of time on her clock radio, "44 hours. It'll fly by in no time." 

Uh huh. Right. 

She tried to tell herself that when the phone rang, she didn't fly for it as if it was her only lifeline. 

Of course, she knew she was lying. 

"Hello?" She desperately hoped to hear his deep velvet voice reply to her. 

"G'mornin, Beloved." 

Her heart soared, recognizing the sound of her love speaking instantly. 

She sat back in her bed, leaning against the headboard. "It's not really morning, you know." Buffy pointed out. "I mean, it's AM, but morning is generally when I get up, rather than go to bed." 

"Were you sleeping?" He asked, his voice expressing his sorrow upon waking her. 

She laughed slightly. "Without hearing from you? Not likely." 

"Good. Well, not good that you can't sleep without talking to me, just good that I didn't wake you." 

"Angel, I know what you meant. Tis okay, love." 

"I miss you." 

"Sunnydale is boring without you." Buffy replied. "There's nothing to fight. All the demons are staying in because they know the Slayer is in a crabby mood." 

"You are? Why?" 

"Angel deprivation, you big ditz!" She laughed. 

The sound of her laughter was his music. He closed his eyes and cherished it's melodic tinkle. 

"I'm a ditz?" Angel said. "This from a woman who thought that Judaism was a form of martial arts." 

Buffy giggled some more. "Yeah well, Judaism, Judo. They're similar." 

"Uhuh. Yes Dear." Angel said, humoring her. 

"I know you're mocking me, but I'll let it pass. This time. What I *should* do is refuse to talk to you and hang up right now, but that would cause anguish for all concerned, so I won't." 

"There was no sarcasm involved, I swear." Angel said with a smile. 

"Well, I don't believe you, but it will only hurt me to get mad." Buffy snuggled into the covers. "How is the demon search going?" 

"Good. I'll be home on schedule." Angel told her, clearly relieved by the idea. "I'm counting the minutes." 

"I'm counting the seconds." Buffy replied. 

"There's that competitive streak again." Angel shot back, grinning. 

"Hey, it's a flaw. We all have flaws, Cryptic." 

"Yeah, but even your imperfections are perfect." Angel said sincerely. 

"Aww, that is so sweet. You'll give a girl an even bigger head." 

"You'd have a beautiful inflated head." 

"Wow, you *are* sappy tonight. Have you been drinking Mountain Dew again?" 

Angel laughed. "No, I guess it's just Buffy-deprivation." 

"God, we're pathetic," Buffy decided, "You've been gone two days, and look at us! We're barely functioning." 

"Speak for yourself." Angel said half-heartedly. "I'm functioning. I'm just not happily functioning." 

"Okay. I'll go along with that." Buffy agreed. 

"So what are Eric's kids like?" 

"Oh, they're great. I was worried taht they were gonna be awful, or boring, or in some other way defective, but they're nice. Clint is going bowling with Oz and Xander on Friday, and Ariel is coming shopping with Willow and I. Oh, and, believe it or not- Cordy- I know, color me stunned. We were shocked too. Anyway, we're going out to that big mall that just opened a few towns over. I'm gonna buy shoes. And a new jacket. My other one was trashed last night by a Trelsor. Damn claws..." 

"I know how you feel. My favourite silk sweater is ruined." Angel told her, glancing over at it with a sigh. 

"We should really demand some sort of compensation for our clothing fatalities, don't you think?" Buffy grumbled. 

"Definitely." Angel said seriously. 

"Oh well. Gives me an excuse to go shopping." 

Angel laughed. "Trust you to see the bright side of demonic clothing mutilation as being going shopping." 

"What would you say would be the bright side of lacking clothing?" 

Angel didn't reply, but she could hear the smile in his silence. 

"Oh!" She suddenly realized. "You're right. Shopping is definitely *not* the best thing." 

Angel changed the subject before it could lead to naughty places. " So you like Ariel?" 

"Oh, she's a darling. A genuine sweetheart. And she likes eighties movies, so we had fun with quotes." 

"I'm glad." 

They continued speaking about Ariel and Clint for a while, Buffy detailing the tour of Sunnydale that she'd given them. Their reaction to the wreckage of the high school had amused Buffy to no end. The real surprise though, had come when Buffy pointed out the Mansion as they drove past. 

"Ariel was completely into it. It excited her, for some odd reason. She wants to do architecture or something. I sorta..." 

"What?" Angel asked, suspicious of the tone in her voice. "What did you do?" 

She spoke all in a rush. "I told her that she could come by and have a look around. I know I should have asked you first, but it just came out, and-" 

"Beloved." Angel said calmly. "That's fine. I don't mind, I swear. And never feel you have to ask. It's your home as much as it is mine, really." 

"Really?" 

"Of course. You're what makes it home to me." 

Buffy melted, and felt tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. She lifted her hand, and softly kissed the claddagh that circled her slender finger, as if the kiss would reach him through it. 

I love him so much... . 

"I love you." She whispered. 

"I think you know how I feel." Angel replied. 

"Tell me anyway." She murmured, rolling onto her back, staring up at the ceiling, one hand resting comfortingly on her stomach. 

"I love you, more than anything- real, imagined, unimaginable." He told her softly. 

"That makes me happy." Buffy mumbled, her fatigue catching up with her. "Goodnight, Angel...." Her breath puffed against the receiver. 

"Goodnight, Beloved." He replied softly, but she was already asleep, the phone still tightly clutched in her hand, next to her ear. 

He smiled a little, listening to the soft sounds of Buffy's gently breath as she slept. "Sleep sweet, honey." He murmured before hanging up and attempting to catch himself some sleep. 

In Sunnydale, Buffy, in the depths of her sleep, released her grip on the phone. It fell to the floor unnoticed. 

She was immersed in sweet dreams of cool hands and a low, velvety voice. 

****

The End


	6. Good to be Home

goodhome

Good to Be Home

by Starla

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns the Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters depicted within. I own Ariel, Clint, and Eric.

Distribution: Anyone with the rest of the series, take this without question. If you don't already archive me, just let me know, and all will be cool. 

Spoilers: Nothing too major. 

Summary: Angel returns home. 

Author's Notes: This has been a long time coming.I've had PR-Block in the worst way. I'll try and get them out more regulalarly from now on, but I"m not making any promises. 

Author's Notes 2: I just want to point out that Xander and Cordelia are *not* a couple in this. It's in the summer after S3 Angel and Buffy are together, Willow and Oz are together. 

Dedication: To the people who've pestered me about this. Keep pestering. I need some motivation. I hereby give you all the permission to stalk me if you must. 

Feedback: See above. Stalking is neccessary. 

*^*^*

Buffy stretched out on the pavement in front of Xander's house, relishing the last rays of late afternoon sun even as she willed them away. 

Soon after the sun set, Angel would arrive home. 

This knowledge brought a smile to her lips, and a gentle buzz of anticipation to her bones. She turned her head, and grinned happily over at Willow, who was nestled in Oz's arms besides to her. 

"He'll be home soon," she chirped, trying to stop herself from giggling. 

Willow rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "You've only told us that, oh, what, 300 times?"

"I'd have said it was closer to 400," Oz commented lazily, smirking at Buffy. 

"Well, I like to keep you informed," Buffy said, smiling, her good mood not spoiled by their teasing. Letting out an inexplicable giggle, she shifted, pillowing her head on Oz and Willow's ankles and gazing up at the clouds. 

"What do you see?" Oz asked, his trademarked calm curiousity clear in his voice. 

"Clouds," She replied absentmindedly. 

Cordelia rolled her eyes, "I believe I speak for everybody here when I say, 'duh'." 

Startled, Buffy shook herself out of her daze. "Huh?" 

"What do you see in the clouds?" Willow repeated on behalf of Oz. 

"Oh," Buffy said, turning her attention back to the sky and studying it for a few moments. "Lips."

"Lips?" 

"Lips." She confirmed, lifting her arm and pointing at the cloud formation that had caught her eye. 

"Looks more like a bottle." Cordelia said, shielding her eyes. 

"I think it looks like a fairy," Willow frowned. 

Oz glanced at them out of the corner of his eyes, "You guys are weird."

"It's part of our charm," Buffy said, stretching lazily, trying not to look at her watch too often. 

"If you say so," Xander teased as he appeared among them carrying a tote bag.

"That's my story and I'm sticking to it," Buffy said firmly. 

"I thought you guys were coming here to help me," Xander said, glaring at them.

"Well, that's what we told you, but we're really here to make fun of your sleeping bag," Willow said, waving a hand in the direction of the bag that held his Superman sleeping bag. 

"You should see his snoopy pyjamas," Cordelia snorted. She averted her eyes when everyone turned to look at her. "Not that *I* have."

Her friends shared an amused grin. 

"So what are you gonna do with Angel once you get him home?" Willow asked, gesturing for Xander to throw her a candy bar. 

"And please, details," Xander said, wiggling an eyebrow. 

"Mom wants me home to entertain Ariel and Clint," Buffy said, a little grumpily, "So we'll probably just hang out and watch videos. You guys should come. It'll be the last chance we have to hang out with Xand for a while."

"Our baby is abandoning us," Willow mocked, pouting. 

"Yet somehow we find the courage to live on," Cordy drawled, smiling maliciously at Xander. 

"I'll miss you too, darling," Xander smirked, unfazed by her contemptuous glare. 

Cordelia huffed, crossing her arms and leaning back against his brick fence.

Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes, knowing that if the two got into a verbal slanging match that it wasn't going to end any time soon. Determined to distract them, she said, "So, Videos. Who's in?"

Ignoring her, Xander and Cordelia continued to squabble. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Ariel fell onto the bed next to her brother, groaning and glowering at the wall in front of her. 

"What's wrong with you?" Clint asked, not looking up from his book, a copy of Steven King's 'It' that had obviously been read more than once. 

"Dad just told me that we're spending the night with Buffy and her friends," Ariel moaned, "while he and Joyce go to some play!"

"So?" 

"They're so *boring*!" Ariel exclaimed, pouting. "I doubt they've ever done anything rebellious, or exciting, or even relatively *interesting* in their whole life. They never will. They'll do the same thing every day until they die. Because that's what boring people do." 

"*I* like them." Clint said, lifting his eyes finally to peer at her over the page. 

"You would. You're a boring person too." 

Clint ignored her, used to her frequent fits of obnoxious and bratty behaviour. He went back to reading his book, and Ariel fell silent for several minutes. 

When she spoke again, her voice was calmer, without a trace of the whining tone she had used only a moment ago. 

"So what do you think this boyfriend is like?" 

"Don't know, really," Clint said, "The guys didn't mention him much." 

"Buffy mentioned him incessantly, but I didn't really get a picture of what he was like. It was all pretty erractic information...." She paused for several moments. "I hope he's fuckable."

"Don't you dare." Clint fixed her with a disapproving eye, but she just smirked lazily at him. 

"If I want to, I will," Ariel reminded him, "and we both know it."

"Ariel, she *loves* him," He hissed, "You can't play with people's hearts, it's not fair."

"Fair, Schmair," Ariel laughed as she stood and stalked out of the room. "Fair is for losers. I like to play dirty."

"Don't I know it," Clint muttered as he, disgusted, threw down his book and flopped back against the mattress, rubbing his temples. 

So much for a quiet summer.

*^*^*^*^*^*^^*^*^*^

Ariel smiled at Joyce as the older woman passed her a can of soda. "So when will Buffy be back?" 

"She shouldn't be too long, I know she wants to be here when Angel arrives," Joyce told her, "Finally, the moping will stop. Next time he goes away, I'm sending her with him whether they like it or not. She's been driving everybody mad."

"I'll bet," Ariel grinned. "So they're pretty serious, huh?"

Joyce laughed. "They're like an old married couple, sometimes," She rolled her eyes, "It's adorable. And terrifying."

Ariel looked away to hide her grimace. When she turned back to Joyce, her calm smile was once again set in place. "Do you think Buffy ever wants something a bit different? You know...something exciting?"

Joyce slowed noticably for several moments, as if she was considering how to respond. "I don't think that's a problem for Buffy."

Ariel could tell that if she pressed the subject, Joyce might start to get a little suspicious, so she dropped it, grinning. "So what have you and Dad got planned tonight?" 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

It was almost half an hour later when Angel pulled his car up in front of the Summer's home on Revello Drive. He knocked on the door , and , not getting a response, opened it quietly and stepped inside. He could hear people moving about inside, smell their blood, their sweat. 

He was barely inside the door when Buffy came hurtling down the stairs and into his arms. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, nuzzling into his jaw, playing with the collar of his shirt. 

"I take it you're glad that I'm home, then," he said in amusement, but he held her just as tightly, rubbing her back lovingly, breathing her in, like oxygen to a dying man. She didn't reply in words, just kissed his neck, only once, so softly that he wasn't entirely sure that he hadn't imagined it. Smiling gently, his kissed her brow, whispering against her skin, "I missed you too."

"Damn straight, you did," ahe muttered, pulling away, "I don't like it when you're not around. I worry."

"I know, I do too," he said, holding her hand and letting her lead him into the kitchen.

"So, what's the verdict? Demon dead?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at him. 

"Dead demon," he said, nodding. "No problem."

"That's m'boy," She said, her voice an odd combination of adoration and mockery.

"How about here," he asked, sitting at a stool, playing with the straw of a soda she handed him, "everything been okay?"

"Disaster-free," She assured him, sliding from her own stool into his lap, twining her arms around his neck. She kissed his chin, then his cheek, then finally, his lips, which were cool and soft against her own. It was like finding water after months in the desert; She could barely keep herself from absorbing him completely. Her hands found the back of his neck, and one wound itself into his har. The other ran along his shoulder, feeling the coolness of skin and muscle underneath the soft silk.

"Mmmm...." he moaned, "You taste good...." He kissed her quickly again, tasting her, "I missed that."

"I missed your smell," Buffy confessed, burying her face in his neck. "You always smell so....clean. And sorta spicy. Irresistable."

"I missed your stomache, " Angel said, bringing one hand to her belly and slipping it under the hem of her shirt, lightly stroking it with his thumb, back and forth, "Your skin, it's so soft...soft and warm. I love the way you squirm when I touch you right..." He moved his hand a little, searching for the right spot, "...here...Because you're *so* ticklish, but you won't admit it."

She laughed, "Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

He kissed her again, sliding his hand around to her back, pulling her fully up against him.

It was good to be home.

*^*^*^^*^***^*^*

****

FIN


End file.
